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The
colors in the downloadable charts are ONLY displayed to give the viewer an
overview of the color and finish selections available.
Due
to variances in computer monitors (such as color resolution, color
temperature, etc.), video cards, and color printers, these files should
not be used to make your final selection. After narrowing down your
choices, contact B&B Painting (see
contacts section of this site) to order an actual powder coated sample.
Adobe
Acrobat Reader 4.0 or above is REQUIRED to
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The
history of powder coating:
The concept of applying an organic polymer in powder form can be traced to
the late 1940s and early 1950s when powders were flame sprayed on metallic
substrates. During this time Dr. Erwin Gemmer, a German scientist,
developed the fluidized bed application for thermoplastic resins on metal
as a more efficient and faster alternative to flame spraying. Here the
powder is placed in a container with a porous bottom and air is blown into
it so the powder mix is suspended in the air and turns into a fluid-like
state.
Between 1958 and 1965, virtually all powder coatings were applied
by the fluidized bed process. Most applications were functional in nature
providing film thickness of 6-20 mils (around 150-500 microns).
These thick film applications were generally for electrical insulation, as
well as for corrosion and abrasion resistant purposes. Coating materials
consisted of nylon 11, CAB, polyethylene, plasticized PVC, polyester, and
chlorinated polyether, among others. However, thermoset epoxies (dicycandimide,
or anhydride-cured) also began to make an appearance during this period.
Typical applications included dishwasher baskets (PVC), motor iron
insulation (epoxy), marine hardware (nylon), and metal furniture (PVC,
CAB), to name a few.
In 1960, Pieter g. de Lange, a scientist in Amsterdam, began to
research non-polluting, environmentally friendly industrial coatings that
could compete with traditional liquid coatings. He focused on substitution
of solvents with air, which led him to the development of thermoset powder
coatings. He sought suitable solid resins, hardeners, pigments, etc. and
blended them together in dry form. The blend was then ground to a suitable
particle size. The fluidization technique used for fluidized bed coating
was used to create a "liquid" state in the material.
Electrostatic spray techniques were then adapted from wet paint
applications.
The commercial use of the electrostatic powder spray (EPS) process
was introduced in the U.S. and Europe around 1962 to 1964. EPS offered two
major advantages. First, substrates could be coated cold (no preheat).
Secondly, the film thickness could be reduced to 2 mils (50 microns). EPS
is the most commonly used application in the powder coatings industry
today.
As powder coated finishes continued to gain further
acceptance, other issues involving coatings were coming to light in
Europe. These issues would affect the way the industry, as a whole, would
progress through the 1970s and into the present.
Source:
The
Powder Coating Institute, "Powder Coating. The Complete Finisher's
Handbook", Third Edition, 2004
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